Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-04-29
Management of Turkeys.

Young turkeys commence to chip the
shell on the twenty-si1th day after set
ting; oftentlmes, if the weather be very
warm, day or twenty-four hours soon
er. The natural mother is always the
best for the rearing of the young. The
hen turkey usually begins to drop her
eggs in April; IN some cases the last of
March, if the season be forward or the
winter was open, but it is not desirable.
From 16 to Is eggs is the common
clutch for hen to drop before begin
ming to sit, but young turkeys will lay in
some instances from 40 to 90 eggs before
Offering to sit. More frequently they do
not sit the first season, where well kept
In this case other fowls must be employ
ed to incubate the eggs. Common hens
are not very suitable to rear turkeys yet
necessity compels us sometimes to en-
ploy them. In the first place, the usual
period of incubation for hens is from
eighteen to twenty days. This is one
drawback, and anything but a Brahma
becomes discouraged before the time is
up, and either quits the nest or becomes
unsteady in her habits. A common hen
is not fit to run with turkeys, as their ma
lures are rather slow and sluggish, and
although pretty early risers, turkeys do
not begin their rambles until the sun is
well up and the night dew has gone from
the grass and the chill from the air, when
they are allowed to indulge in their n at
ural habits. They are moderate movers.
and will each day ramble off perhaps a
mile or more from home, and yet will not
become SO much fatjgued at night as
those allowed to run with a common hen.
This latter mother is too quick and fus-
sy in her movements to suit the turkey.
The turkey hen is steady and quiet, sell
dom alarms her brood without cause, and
as general thing, is exceedingly fond of
her young, which she never weans.
have seen her sitting on her second clutch
of eggs With her first brood all around
her. There appears to be a perfect IN
Outstanding between her and her Off
spring, They will wander off a short dis
lance to search for insects, but at the
least alarm seek the mother wing. Their
habits thus render them liable to the
Vaccinations of foxes and weasels, and
they often fell the prey of these destruc-
tive animals, whole brood, together with
the mother, being, being sometimes cap
tured in one night. When they meet with
no disturbance, day by day the older
brood will wander off by themselves or
frequently join the other flock until they
have forsaken the mother nest, which
they will do before the brood comes off.
There is no difficulty. Their acute instinct
enables them to avoid this, and yet no
harsh measures are resorted to. Turkeys
are remarkably clean birds, much, more SO
than dunghill fowls, and are seldom in
tested with vermin. The presence of YER
min on their bodies Is far more destruc-
tive to young poultry than many are
aware of. Some observant poultrymen
pretend to say that it is the cause of the
gapes. This fact cannot have full in
dorsement. Nc doubt the disease is great
ly aggravated, but instances are known
where the chicks were much troubled with
lice and vet never had so much as touch
of the gapss.
Every turkey should be out of the shell
by the LIST of June. Earlier than this the
winds are chilling and insects are not
plenty, but by the middle and last of
June the cold rains are all over, the sea-
son has changed into summer. and the
turkeys that came off by June LIST are
sufficiently advanced to be able to run
and take care of themselves. The grain
fields are fully grown, the grass in the
meadows is deep and affords protection
for the young, the hedges offer shelter
from showers and sudden rains. In 8
few weeks the young birds become fully
feathered. and will be fit for market by
Thanksgiving. For the first three or four
weeks the young chicks should be kept
pretty snug about home, and should not
be allowed to 1un at all the three or four
days Immediately after Matching. Give
strong, nutritious food, which should be
a custard made rich and stiff with eggs
and milk, for the first feeding, boiled
eggs and scalded meal afterward for the
first week, then gradually Introduce buck
wheat, until by the last of the second
week it becomes the principal food, Civ
ing the birds their liberty little longer
and little farther each day until three
weeks old, when their backs will be COW
cred with feathers and the greatest dan
ger over. Train them at first in the ways
they are to run, and teach them to come
home at night for their feed.-C. b., in
Country Gentleman.